Wednesday, 17 October 2007 01:59
Petition Filed to Block Jackson Hills Project
Last week, the Jackson City Council was presented with over 700 signatures from the Concerned Citizens of Jackson, protesting the Council’s certification of environmental impact report and zoning action on the Jackson Hills Golf Community. Judith Jebian, spokesperson for the Concerned Citizens group, said the petitions were designed to force the city to take the recent decisions on the proposed Jackson Hills development to a referendum vote by the citizens of Jackson. Only 234 signatures, or 10% of registered voters in Jackson, were needed to place a vote on the issue on the ballot. The petitions are currently with the County Elections office for verification of the signatures. The City Council has two options at this point – to rescind their previous decision to move onto the Development Agreement phase with New Faze, or to continue with the process underway and put the issue on the ballot in either June or November of 2008.
As she presented the petitions to the council, Jebian said, “We feel very strongly that the city is opposed to this approval.” Councilwoman Connie Gonsalvez noted at the meeting that “many people” have come to her and related that they “felt they were tricked into signing the document.” In a statement for TSPN, Jackson Mayor Drew Stidger said he has been contacted by many people were pleased with the Jackson Hills decision. He continued, “I think it only fair to continue down the governmental process… to continue to work with the Planning Commission as well as the Jackson Hills Golf Course Community developers to establish a Development Agreement. Once this has been done, we shall hold the public meetings as required by law, regarding the Development Agreement, allowing the people opportunity to provide input. If the developer is capable of completing all requirements placed upon them, then the project will go through. If the developer is not capable of completing the requirements placed upon them, then the project will fail.” As for the petitions, Stidger said he stands behind his decisions on the Jackson Hills project and will not rescind his vote. He said, “I will not vote to repeal the resolutions, because a group of people, some of who do not even live within the City of Jackson, rallied together and obtained signatures for a referendum. It is my belief that if the people of Jackson feel that strongly, either for or against the Jackson Hills Golf Course Community, then let the people be heard at the poll.”
